Obedience with our Talents

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. – Hebrews 5: 11-14

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5

All of this obedience talk reminded me of the parable of the talents.

I know you remember that one. It is the one about the master who leaves town and gives five bags of gold to one servant, two bags of gold to a second servant, and one bag of gold to the third servant. The first servant invests the gold and doubles his profit. When the master returns he has ten bags of gold. The second servant does the same and produces four bags of gold. The third one is afraid because the master is demanding. He buries his bag of gold because he fears he might lose it if he risks using it.

Many of us are like that third servant.

Searching for Straight Answers

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. – 2 Timothy 2:3-7

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 15-17; 2 Timothy 2

Have you ever sought out advice on something and received an answer that didn’t seem like an answer? Maybe the person answered your question with another question. Maybe they answered your question with a riddle or metaphor like Paul did above.

This may seem frustrating. You may have felt this frustration when you read Jesus parables for the first time. Why not just give me the instructions simple and plain instead of making me figure it out?

I know I have been in that place many times but there is a reason for the riddle. Truth cannot be reached through words alone. The best we can do is try to get as close as we can to the universal by tucking it away in a story that everyone can relate to.

Rarely is there ever a thing that we should do 100% of the time in every single situation. Sure, life by be simple but it is never without its nuance. It is up to each and every one of us to examine our lives and ourselves to determine the right course of action.

Only you, with the help of God, can chart out your path.

It seem easier to just follow the direction of someone that you admire but if you did so then you really wouldn’t be walking your path. You’d be walking the path that they have determined for you. 

Keep It Moving

Listen and hear my voice;
   pay attention and hear what I say. 

When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?
   Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
When he has leveled the surface,
   does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?
Does he not plant wheat in its place,
   barley in its plot,
   and spelt in its field?
His God instructs him
   and teaches him the right way.

Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,
   nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
   and cumin with a stick.
Grain must be ground to make bread;
   so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it,
   but one does not use horses to grind grain.
All this also comes from the LORD Almighty,
   whose plan is wonderful,
   whose wisdom is magnificent. Isaiah 28:23-29

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 28-29; Philippians 3

I went to a networking mixer recently for a group that is working toward building a strong network for men of color in the entertainment industry. I got there pretty early so I had the opportunity to have some in depth conversations with the other early arrivals.

There were two conversations that really stuck with me.

A Tough Parable to Swallow

So I’ve talked about certain things as being “above my pay grade” right?

Here is a perfect example of what I am talking about.

Check out The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

The general idea is that the landowner is God, the people are us, and the work is the work that God wants us to do for Him here in this world. The denarius is salvation.

So in the morning he hires some workers for a denarius. Then every several hours he hires more workers until the end of the day. All of the workers come to collect their money. He starts by giving the most recently hired workers a denarius. The original workers are like:

YES! We’re finsta get paid!

But to their surprise as he goes down the line of workers, the landowner pays everyone a denarius. The original workers are heated. I spent all day working in this hot sun and I’m getting paid the same as these Johnny come lately cats? For real?

That kinda sucks.

Then the landowner (God) says the following

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' – Matthew 20: 13-15

Ewwww… I don’t like that.

Here is the extreme real world example: Jeffrey Dahmer.

Dude killed seventeen people.

SEVENTEEN!!!

It goes without saying that he probably was not a nice person.

But check this out… when he was in jail his father sent him some Christian materials and after viewing it he declared faith in Jesus and that he was a born again Christian.

SAY WHAT!?

This is something that bothered me for a long time. I live my life in faith in Jesus, trying to be the best person I can be, and I get the same reward as this clown?

That’s not fair.

But then I thought about it. What if I were in God’s position? What would I do? How generous would I be? How would I judge Jeffrey Dahmer? What is the criterion? Would that same criterion convict me, or my friends, or my family?

This whole judging thing is a tough job.

What I love about Jesus’ message is that the standard that we have to live up to is one of faith and love. We believe, and then that faith works through the instrument of love over time to transform us into a new, more loving person. And when we fall short we can be forgiven.

Why is it ok for me to be forgiven and not ok for Jeffrey?

These questions are more than difficult. They are impossible for our little minds.

It’s hard enough for us to know what’s going in on our own hearts and minds. Why would we think we can possibly know what was going on in Jeffrey’s heart when he was behind bars?

I’m not saying this to excuse dude. I’m not even saying that I think he is or is not in heaven.

I have no idea and odds are you don’t either.

What I am saying though is that I’m glad that I don’t have to make that decision.

Walking my own path is hard enough.

Today’s Reading: Exodus 23-24: Matthew 20: 1-16